“You’ll have to hold on to me, Arthur, okay?” Summer stepped right up to him, looking up, face grave. Already her body was emanating heat, though she hadn’t manifested her wings yet … not that she was even sure she would be able to, or need to, under this spell. “And trust me.”
“Um. ok.” Arthur was really nervous, but he took a hold of her shoulders.
“No, closer than that. Really hold.” Summer guided Arthur’s hands around her waist, looking past his blond head to the sky. She looped one arm around his neck. “Try not to scream, since your mouth is right beside my ear.” Dragging her wings down with a mighty heave, she shoved up into the air.
A moment or two of experimentation proved that wings alone weren’t enough to hold them both, but combining wingpower with her usual thermal techniques worked surprisingly well. Just to start with, she went up about two stories, hovering.
Arthur’s eyes widened when they lifted off the ground. He couldn’t believe he was doing this. He wasn’t able to bring himself to look down. He was actually scared. Truly scared.
“Relax a little. I’ve got you, I won’t let you fall.” Summer tried to make this smile reassuring. “Do you need me to take the fear away?”
Arthur was too scared to even speak. All he could do was nod.
Compared to flying with someone, this was easy. Beyond easy. A tiny thread of calm, weaving in amongst Arthur’s fear, dulling it, cooling it. She locked it up in a little box, not to be released til his feet touched ground again.